Advent Beginnings
by Kallen in Exile
Summary: Ben Tennyson; time and time again, the wielder of the Omnitrix has proven his worth in saving the planet, but when the world is threatened by Ben, himself, what will happen when Gwen and Kevin make the decision to rise up and stand against him.
1. The Warning

**-Advent Beginnings-**

by Kallen in Exile

_Author's Notes: _This fic was originally written to be a one shot, but I couldn't help but think up more ideas for it along the way. While it's my first time in portraying the characters of Ben 10, I hope things turned out alright for this chapter. I originally thought of this opening chapter being more humorous but I'm not sure I ended up doing so. Anyways, I own neither the characters or franchise, sadly enough but I'd be happy just knowing it was enjoyed. All feedback is appreciated.

**-Ben10: Advent Beginnings-**

It seemed pretty crazy to be working as late as midnight, but then again, the work Kevin Levin and Gwen Tennyson did was not your standard line of work. If there was one thing that the two of them were not, it was normal, but then again, that was old news. You could count on that lifestyle not being available to them any longer, but it seemed not to be a problem. Not anymore, anyways. There was no time to worry or complain, when you were busy saving the world and occasionally, the universe itself. Tonight was simply one of those nights; saving the world and kicking some bad guy butt.

Their sense of time seemed to have vanished as Kevin and Gwen, who had been lingering around the pier for hours, sat impatiently while staring at the operation, being conducted. Surveillance was only one part of the mission and one that had been completely after learning which one of the numerous warehouses housed what it was they had been searching for. It was simply another night… Except there was a slight change to the normal procedure, they followed.

There was no sign of the wielder of the Omnitrix, Ben Tennyson.

That might have explained the unusual silence of things as the two stood behind a tower of crates. Lately things seemed too quiet considering this was the fourth absence in less than three days that was now on Ben's record. The thought was enough to make Kevin grunt annoyingly as he slouched against the stack of crates.

"What the heck does he think he's doing," he asked, rather unpleasantly. "Messing around again... as if we really have the time to waste on waiting for him."

The redheaded female beside him glanced in his direction before rolling her eyes and turning her attention away from him. "You know the Omnitrix has been malfunctioning a lot. Ben can't really be of any help to us anyway, unless Azmuth can figure out what's going wrong with it." Not that the Omnitrix hadn't malfunctioned plenty of times before, but in Ben's eyes it was becoming a growing nuisance. And with recent problems, Gwen couldn't blame him for not being around. He was more of a danger to them, than anything. That and the whole argument from last night had not completely blown over, as she kept herself from looking back at the ill-tempered teen.

While she wouldn't voice the matter; the mere thought of what lay underneath the I.D. mask, being worn by Kevin beside her, made her upset. After all the trouble it placed on Kevin, she could not help but grow upset that she had still not found a way to cure him. She knew it was affecting him personally. Whether he was willing to admit it or not.

"We can't wait much longer; if he doesn't show up, then we'll just have to go on without him and hope for the best." Even saying it aloud seemed foolish. With what they were intending to deal with, it would have been better if the whole team was here, but Gwen knew that there was no putting off something as vital as this. Peering around the wooden crates, her green eyes focused in on the numerous armor-clad Forever Knights surrounding the towering archway. Honestly, the knights were enough reason to scream trouble normally, but between Gwen and Kevin, the towering archway behind them was their number one priority.

"How's it lookin'?" Leaning against her, Kevin's own eyes honed in on the situation before he found himself groaning. "You've gotta be kidding me. They're actually trying to build a Jumpgate? How stupid can you get?"

Unable to help herself, Gwen glanced back, brow raised as she watched Kevin proceed to mumble on about how stupid this entire matter seemed. "Stupid or not, they're trying and chances are, whatever they're using for isn't going to be good for anyone." Staring at him more closely, a faint smirk spread across her face. "You're not afraid are you?"

He looked at her incredulously, before standing to his full height. "Do you know what we're dealing with here? A Jumpgate, Gwen. And if you haven't noticed, it's considerably smaller and condensed to a point where, the thing looks as unstable and dangerous as the self destructive qualities of… oh I don't know four or five self destructing null void projectors."

"Not to mention the couple dozen Forever Knights we'll have to deal with." There was no sugarcoating the matter and even if it was possible, it was highly unlikely to be done. The faint pink glow of her Anodite abilities shown in her hand as she exhaled deeply. "We really don't have the luxury of waiting anymore; are you ready?"

The only response Kevin gave was in the form of removing his I.D. mask. Revealing the unusual transformation he was subjected to at the hands of the Omnitrix. Now being an individual of various elements that now made up his body, Kevin proceeded past her before allowing his right arm to shape shift into a mace. "Let's get this done with. I really want to get back and kick Ben's butt for making me work so much."

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

Walking was so tiresome and to Ben Tennyson, it was kind of a waste of time; that was especially the case when this could have all been avoided, if Gwen and Kevin had waited just a while longer. Walking towards the pier wasn't exactly the shortest journey and while it was possible for him to use the Omnitrix, the chances of it working properly these days were not so likely. So here he was sucking it up; hands in pockets and sulking his way towards the pier, where Kevin and Gwen would be waiting for him.

Though the original plan was to ask Azmuth for help, no results had come from it… almost as though, he was being avoided. Just the thought alone, made Ben slightly annoyed. "Honestly, it's not as though this thing has a manual. If you're not gonna be around, what's the point of being able to contact you?" Throwing his hands around in an attempt at releasing his stress, he wound up sighing more to himself for ranting out at no one in particular; he proceeded around the corner only to collide blindly into another.

"Jeez, way to stand around," he pointed out, all too obliviously. Hand rubbing his head lightly, he gazed at figure now standing before him, before smiling incredulously. "Paradox! Azmuth! Well… kinda just throws every negative thing I was just thinking about you, out the window. Do you know how long I've been looking for you? Where the heck have you guys been? "

For a moment, it looked as though neither one was going to say anything. The scientist simply stood there while the small Galvan remained perched on his shoulder; both finding themselves unable to stare at the young hero.

The strained faces along with the tension, Ben wouldn't have wanted to try cutting through with a knife…What was going on?

"Uh, something the matter?" In Ben's opinion, the whole 'silence is golden' phrase really didn't work for him. He was simply more uncomfortable as it ensued. "Seriously guys, if you're going to give me the whole silent treatment, can you let me know what I did to deserve it first?" An attempt at humor that wound up only attracting the stares of the two scientists. Well, at least they could look at him now, but his humor still failed, it seemed.

Several attempts later and Ben was fed up with getting anything out of these two. If they were going to simply be statues, they could have done it elsewhere, instead of giving Ben the false hope that something good might from this. Waving the matter aside, Ben began walking again, but stopped abruptly as a hand fell on his shoulder. "Look, if you're not going to tell me what's wrong, then Kevin and Gwen need my help. Omnitrix malfunctioning or not, it's better than not being there at all."

"I'm sorry Ben; you'll have to pardon our rudeness... you could say that our arrival here is not for the reasons, you or we originally desired."

Ben nodded fervently all the while, frowning at the disturbing feeling, he was getting. "If you aren't here to help me with the Omnitrix, then there must be a problem, right?"

This time, it was Azmuth's voice that broke the silence; clearing his throat lightly, he sighed. "The problem lies with you, Ben Tennyson. The Omnitrix must be removed, immediately."

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

"Seriously, how long does it freakin take to fix that stupid watch?" A question that fell on deaf ears as the mace hand slammed into the ground, creating an earth shattering earthquake, which tore at the ground, beneath several Forever Knights. Dust arising and shrouding all within the vicinity of the warehouse; voices and screams ceased to exist as the group of soldiers staggered about in their attempt at regaining footing in the rubble, beneath them.

"Hurry up, Gwen!"

Through the smokescreen came numerous stone staircases of mana, carrying Gwen into the sky as the flow of mana encircled her hands. "Stop barking orders, Kevin. It's seriously annoying." Releasing the stored up mana, the shower of energy beams rained down, burying the Forever Knights in mana, where they stood.

Kevin scowled as the smoke cleared, all the while reverting his right arm back to 'normal'. "That takes care of the small fry, anyways." Things had surprisingly gone smoother than he would have expected; for something as important as this Jumpgate, the defenses were crappy. Not something that generally added up in situations like these.

Lowering herself back to the ground, Gwen remained silent as her eyes scanned the rest of the warehouse. "This doesn't make any sense."

"No kidding. I can't even get mad at Ben now." Smirking at the annoyed look he received, Kevin shrugged idly before making his way towards the portal. "Seriously though, this is some crazy tech, they're trying to build. Never seen anything like it, unless you count the real deal, the Highbreed had."

"So, how do we deal with something we don't understand then?" Walking up beside him, Gwen stared at the archway, before glancing at the table that housed both, what looked like controls and a great deal of paperwork. Insight perhaps on just what the Forever Knights were planning? "It's weird though… this isn't something I'd peg the Forever Knights on doing."

"Heh, maybe and maybe not. Might not be the actual Forever Knights, we're even dealing with. But this doesn't seem too crazy for that scientist that tried to kidnap Ship or whatever its name is." Proceeding to the table, Kevin leaned over the numerous sheets of paper, engrossing him in everything that was under his eyes. Unusual as it was to see Kevin so… deep in thought, Gwen couldn't help but smile as she watched him. Rare occurrences like this and Ben wasn't even here to crack a joke.

Several minutes and she almost found herself worried over the silence. "Hello? Earth to Kevin; did you figure out what this does or not?"

Shaking his head lightly, he turned his gaze on her before gesturing towards the gate. "Just like we assumed, it's a Jumpgate. Not your ordinary one obviously, but it accomplishes the basic interstellar travel or flight, more or less. That's what they're hoping for anyways. Instead of bringing something through the gate like the Highbreed did, they're going… somewhere."

"So it's condensed like this for human usage, right? You said that it was dangerous though." Watching him rub the back of his neck, she approached the table, while placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's the danger, Kevin?"

"In theory, this sounds possible, but the chances of success are slim. Like, majorly slim Gwen. Interstellar travel isn't something that's just accomplished, out of the blue. We're not like the Highbreed, thank god, but they definitely had a better handle on things like this. Whether or not they just stole it from someone like the Galvans or not, the deal is, there's no way that it'll work if the scientist made this of his own volition."

It was easy for Gwen to see where Kevin was heading with this as she glanced at the arch, again. "So either it'll be a failure, or this is not just an issue with the Forever Knights."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well that's enlightening. What do we do about it, then."

Applause echoed throughout the warehouse as the two turned around to reveal the scientist, Joseph Chadwick. "Bravo you two. Though I don't applaud you on your lack of faith in my scientific know-how."

Stepping in front of Gwen, Kevin watched in anticipation as the scientist proceeded without the slightest bit of concern. _What's this dude's deal?_

"While the basic idea of the Jumpgate does not lie with me, it was my persistence that made what you see before you, a reality. And it is rather fortunate that I now have two test subjects."

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

Ben stared speechless for a moment before shaking his head and smiling lightly. "Sorry. Thought I heard you say the Omnitrix needed to be removed?"

"You did not hear wrong, Ben Tennyson. If the Omnitrix is not removed from your wrist, terrible things will happen to not only this planet, but the entire universe."

That didn't even make sense to Ben, all things considered, but he cast his own skepticism aside for the time being. "What kind of terrible things are you talking about, Azmuth."

A frown – if it could be called that – arose on the Galvan's face as he lowered his gaze. "Unspeakable terrors, beginning with the loss of your friends… and ending with the destruction of the universe, at your hands."


	2. Vanishing Act

**-Advent Beginnings: Vanishing Act-**

by Kallen in Exile

_Author's Notes: _So Chapter Two is apparently up and despite the difficulty I had writing this chapter, it was surprisingly fun. Obviously a bit longer due to Ben's fight scene, I hope that turned out alright. I may be suffering a great deal of mental exhaustion, but hopefully it wasn't put to waste and things make sense, for you all. As usual, all feedback is greatly appreciated and for the sake of disclaiming and that kind of thing – I own neither the characters nor the show. This is simply something I'm doing for the sake of making people happy.

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

The lingering stares between Dr. Joseph Chadwick and Kevin and Gwen ensued as he continued his pace, past them and towards the gate. There was a feeling of glee emitted from him that made Kevin feel as though he was about to hurl; it was as though this guy was in love with his creation or something. Not that he couldn't relate… just seemed sickening when the guy was already crazier than a full mental ward.

The scientist touched a finger to the archway before smiling, leisurely back at the two. "You know," he said almost in a whisper, "the difficulties with applying the physics and calibrations of the Jumpgate you two are familiar with, was not at all difficult, like you seem to believe. The number of problems was actually very few… it was simply the importance of said problems. Are you aware of what I'm speaking of, boy?"

Beyond being annoyed at the fact of being called 'boy', Kevin found himself simply annoyed by the freakish happiness, laced with his voice. "I'm sure you'll tell me, even if I don't. But I guess when dealing with interstellar travel, one has to take into account the constant variable of collisions, or something like that.

It's not like a teleportation device where you simply wind up on another planet; you're simply traveling at light speed and in the case of human travel and the regular Jumpgate, something like a collision might be best, avoided, unless you're into the whole being splattered across moons and space debris."

From the doctor's initial shock, it was pretty obvious; he had hit the nail on the head. Even Gwen seemed momentarily surprised, as Kevin glanced at her. "What? Kinda made a living off of having to know stuff like this, didn't I? Remember? Being left in space and all that? Selling alien tech?"

Smiling at the bitterness in his voice, Gwen placed a hand on his arm. "It's just nice to see, there is more to you than the brawn, you seem to be so well known for."

"Ha-ha. Can we get on with the explanation now?"

Frowning at the temporary disruption, Chadwick nodded again, in accordance with Kevin's response. "Surprisingly enough, you are correct. While it is more than possible for other races to function and maneuver through this issue, it has taken us until now to discover a means for doing so. Even then, it was necessary to understand the Highbreed and their own technology–"

"So basically, they solved the problem for you?" asked Gwen.

Scowling at the thought, he waved the question away dismissively. As good as a 'yes' in her books, as far as she was concerned. "Right. Sorry. Forgot you wanted to hold all the credit for something, you didn't accomplish. Anyways, how did you accomplish condensing something as instable as traveling from world to world?"

"The Highbreed accomplished the task of simply proving it could be done, which I had already theorized and known. Leaving behind the Jumpgate simply allowed me to study and make the idea better. There is no one in the universe that has done what I've done. You have no idea of the places this can take us." Chadwick had, by now left his place by the Jumpgate and made his way towards the controls. "Allow me to demonstrate for you."

"Wait, no!" Kevin had already begun running towards the other, but it was too late as the series of procedures were initiated swiftly. The field between the archway humming quietly before sparking a transient flow of electricity as the portal reverberated throughout the warehouse and roared into life.

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

It had taken Ben a few minutes to calm down after his fit of laughter. He had doubled over and fallen to his knees before the serious faces confirmed that they were not joking. Sitting there for a moment, he only thought about their words. "What do you mean the loss of my friends? And the destruction of the universe at MY hands?"

"Details are scarce, but it has been foretold than in the events to come, the universe's destruction is imminent."

"And… I still don't see how that has to do with me being the one who destroys it. I mean—" He waved his left arm around, displaying the Omnitrix for them to see, "—I'm a hero, guys. Been doing this for years now, give or take." The cheesy hero-ish smile followed up and the time traveler and scientist could not help but exchange glances.

"This is serious Ben Tennyson. The Omnitrix must be removed immediately, because you will become a danger to all."

There was no more frowning as Ben stood and stared at the Omnitrix, still apparently in Recharge Mode. "What if I refuse to give it up? Whatever this danger is, I can prevent it if you just tell me."

Any response was cut off as a large electric current shot forth into the sky, a couple streets over. _No… Guys. _"Guys we'll have to talk about this later, alright? Gwen and Kevin are in trouble." Not bothering to wait for an answer, he began running.

"What can you do in your current condition, Ben?"

That stopped him. Not looking back, he merely shrugged. "I really don't know. Doing nothing at all is worse than at least trying though. Gwen is my family and Kevin is… well Kevin is Kevin. He's my friend and Gwen would be upset if I let something happen to him too. " Smiling confidently, he turned back towards them. "You should know me by now. I'm not going to give up, especially when I haven't even tried." And with that, he continued running.

"So… has he passed the first trial?" A hint of humor in Paradox's voice as he watched Ben vanish from view.

"Yes, as expected. But I'm not sure the next will be so simple."

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

The loud hum of the Jumpgate was not enough to silence the laughter being emitted from the scientist as Kevin and Gwen proceeded to backtracking and keeping their distance. At that exact moment however, several hands held them in place as several Forever Knights seemed to have appeared randomly out of the blue.

"Oh this is just great. Can't believe I'm actually wishing Tennyson was here now."

"Yeah, well that makes two of us."

Even at their bit of conversation however, there was a deal of smoke billowing and surrounding the gate. Not really a good sign in most situations as the portal seemed to roar louder and expand itself, before a vortex seemed to grow at its center. Its pull was almost instantaneous as the table housing the controls was almost immediately sucked in. The way things were turning out, Kevin and Gwen were going be next, if they didn't do something.

And as if confirming his worst fears, Gwen's scream filled the air as she was taken off her feet. Burying his fist into the ground, Kevin grabbed hold of the redhead, and now found himself holding on for what appeared to be dear life. Between overextending himself and keeping his hold on Gwen, he could only mutter out one thing:

"Come on Ben. Omnitrix or not, just hurry the heck up."

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

It wasn't hard to locate his destination and fortunately enough, he arrived without much difficulty. Yet, what awaited him shocked him as he stared at the large number of Forever Knights. And just beyond them was… "Gwen! Kevin!"

All eyes had suddenly turned to face him as he sighed. "Guess there's no point in me trying the whole element of surprise, huh?" Smiling nonchalantly, his eyes made contact with Gwen's before he nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said more so to himself.

Wasting no more time, Ben jumped into the fray of battle; sliding between the legs of one Forever Knight, Ben stumbled forwards and sidestepped away from grasp of another. He had to make it in time; he couldn't lose Gwen and Kevin to that vortex. His green eyes were constantly falling on them as the number of knights only seemed to increase, surrounding him. When a third came and tried to exploit the opening left by his movements, it only resulted in the gauntlet hand being grabbed; holding on tightly as he leant into the armored body and swung the knight over his back and into the ground.

Grimacing slightly, he looked around briefly at the growing number still standing between him and those he was striving to reach. _Too many._ His eyes gazed down to the watch on his left wrist; the dial was still red. "Oh come on! I haven't used you at all, today." This was frustrating and it was getting no easier as he stepped back in synch with the group of knights, who approached him, albeit menacingly. He was running out of time and he was currently proceeding in the wrong direction, from where he wanted and needed to be.

How long could Kevin continue to hold on like that? Though he wasn't about to doubt his determination to save Gwen, he didn't want to take any chances either. Irrational as it was, he didn't really have much choice but to leap into the fray. Omnitrix or not, he could take a bunch of knights… and their illegal alien tech. Swords and guns and all… _Yeah. This'll be a real cinch. _Observing his surroundings didn't leave for many options, save for the stack of crates, he noticed out of the corner of his eye. Were they really stupid enough to fall for something like that, though?

Didn't hurt to try and find out. Turning on the spot, Ben began running and how weird – or was it lucky – that the crates were stacked, to resemble a staircase. Ascending with each jump, he found the grunts and shots being fired at him, a sign of their annoyance. Nice to know he wasn't the only one ticked off with something, at the moment. Smiling more to himself, he continued going, but there was only so high he could go right?

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

As Kevin and Gwen watched, it had quickly become apparent that Ben would not be able to reach them anytime soon. The Omnitrix was still on the fritz it seemed and Kevin's manmade hold in the ground was beginning to wane. The vortex's pull was clearly overwhelming and increasing; something he knew would happen. "Damn it, I told you! I freakin told you!"

"This is really not the time to be bragging, Kevin." Struggling to keep her hold on Kevin's other hand; Gwen squinted to keep her vision focused on Ben. What exactly was he doing, anyways? The Forever Knights had their moments of feeble-mindedness, but she wasn't sure she willing to bet that this would be one of those times. She could only hope that Ben would know what he was doing and do it quickly. "Come on Ben…" Just a whisper, but even that would reach him.

**-Ben 10: Advent Beginnings-**

"This has got to work. No, this is definitely… possibly… hopefully going to work." _Yeah, Ben way to give yourself a pep talk._ One more jump and he was now standing at the top of the wooden 'staircase' so to say. Between staring frantically at Kevin and Gwen and finding himself trapped in the middle of two groups of Forever Knights – one chasing after him, while another was taking their positions down below him – Ben was finding himself, feeling more and more reluctant about the endgame of this plan.

This could all work; it just took timing. Not that he had much time to begin with, but he was more confident than before, at least. Smiling slightly, he glanced behind him. Nothing down there; just the wall against his back, it seemed. It was probably going to hurt, but that was a cost he had to take wasn't it? A loud 'beeping' suddenly interrupted his train of thought, as his eyes quickly shot down to the Omnitrix. The dial had reverted from red to green. Active mode.

"Well it's about time!" He couldn't help but laugh happily as the green hologram came displayed his set of aliens. Turning the dial quickly, he already had his mindset on what alien he would have used, from the time this plan entered his mind. Stopping as the Omnitrix's hologram displayed the four armed monkey, he exhaled deeply. This would be a bad time for the Omnitrix to malfunction, he now realized. _Could be life or death, now that I think about it… _Way to stay upbeat, as he took a step backwards and free fell just as his hand slammed against the dial.

The green flash lit up the wall as a howling laugh set in from the Arachnichimp. Between the concerned murmurs of the Forever Knights and Kevin and Gwen's initial shock, came the swaying movement of the tower of crates. One by one, crates were being shot out from underneath each other and launched towards the group of Forever Knights ahead. It was like a game of Jenga and this tower was becoming more and more unstable as crates were kicked out from the center.

"Woo, now this is what I'm talking about!" The excited laughter could not be quieted as Ben descended to the ground; two of his arms causing friction as they set against the walls and slowed his fall, and then pushing himself off a moment later, he continued with the task of kicking the crates from beneath one another. It was like a process of bouncing between one surface to another; ping-pong if one wanted to be 'technical' and they never even saw it coming.

The tower collapsed in a matter of strikes and Spidermonkey's attack had done its part in burying a number of Forever Knights as well. All that was left was the mixture of broken wood and armor as the blue alien somersaulted atop the pile. "Guess you guys really are that stupid," he said, happily confirming his earlier question.

This was it; five knights separated Ben from his friends and he couldn't waste anymore time. Crouching slightly, agility set in as the blue alien shot towards the remaining distractions. Maneuvering himself between the attempted shots, until he was in close enough proximity to end the scuffle, once and for all. When they couldn't block or dodge successfully he would bring them down.

The Forever Knights skirted away and dispersed from one another in an attempt to blitz around and surround Ben. Two more appeared from the sides, and the final stood ready and stalked forward from the front, ready to take down the Arachnichimp. An old fashioned all-out team beat down, was their plan huh?

Spidermonkey smirked, before another chimp-ish laugh escaped him. "Strength in numbers, huh guys? I'm flattered, you find me so strong." The Knight before him lunged forwards toward him. Tilting his head and ready to jump, Spidermonkey couldn't help but mock and stick his tongue out teasingly. "Should really try not to be--" He leapt above the punch, and using the armor clad arm as a step stool, landed lightly before throwing his own punch and leaping backwards from the first fallen victim. "—so obvious with your attacks."

A back flip followed the 'elegant' leap backwards, and spiraling through the attempted fire, Spidermonkey continued his attack, somersaulting and slamming one foot into the heads of two Forever Knights.

"One kick, two kick, three kick, four; you silly forever knights can't take much more." Landing lightly on his feet, Ben couldn't help but laugh at his own humor; something to which Kevin could not help but groan loudly over.

"Oh give me a break, Tennyson. Who taught you how to crack a joke, your grandpa?"

Taking a moment to glance back, the frown was visible on the chimp's face. "Hey, grandpa can be funny at times."

The final two didn't wait for an invitation in charging forward, swords in hand and swinging in tandem. "Ben, can you try to pay attention!" Gwen's voice causing his four eyes to turn back to his opposition, Spidermonkey smirked before his tail came around and spun the web from his tail to grab and yank at the legs beneath the remaining knights. Colliding with the ground, the fun did not end as Spidermonkey leapt past them and shifting his weight, spun effortlessly, dragging the two and launching them into the debris of their fallen comrades and crates.

Four thumbs up as Ben turned to face his friends. "No problem, see?"

"Not the time for bragging!" Kind of weird to hear them yell at him in unison, but they were right. Spinning the web once again, he made to grab at Kevin's hand just as the hold broke from underneath his hand.

"… Jeez, you guys are really heavy." Holding on tightly to the web, Kevin could hardly help but begin sweating as he noticed how close Gwen was now to entering the vortex.

"Pull Ben, pull!"

Feet skidding against the ground, Ben continued with little success to retreat away from the vortex. "Doing… my… best…" There was nothing for the four arms to grab hold of and he was steadily losing Gwen and Kevin to the pull of some stupid machine. Even with the supernatural adhesive, it was doing very little to secure his friends' safety.

"Let them go!"

The voice had come from Chadwick as his head peered around from one of the support beams. "If they are sucked into the vortex, it will cease its pull and shut itself down."

"If that's the case, then throw yourself in here. It's your stinkin Jumpgate." Hardly one to pass up on an opportunity to get his opinion out; that was Kevin.

Continuing his struggle, Spidermonkey could hardly help but shrug even in the midst of this problem. "He's got a point, you know."

The 'mad' scientist did not get a chance to respond as a blinding light brought Ben's attention back ahead. Standing between him and his friends was Paradox and Azmuth. It wasn't that their arrival really surprised him, but it was what lingered in his hand, that caused him to seemingly forget how to breath. _Scissors?_

It took a moment for realization to hit Ben, before he found himself reaching out – all four arms – in an attempt to halt their actions. "Wait! Paradox, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Ben… this is, as one might say, necessary."

"What? No! You can help me. Help me save them, please!"

"This must be done, Ben Tennyson. Otherwise we will lose you as well." Azmuth's voice seemed to signal a moment of slow motion as the web broke in two, between the metal blades.

Stumbling backwards and thinking quickly, he planted two hands above his head and quickly flipped over in a quick lateral hop, before he was on all eights. Quicker than one might have previously thought of him, Spidermonkey dashed forward, again firing another web, before being cut off and stopped by a small hand against the dial on his chest.

Falling forward, Ben landed on his side as he could only watch Kevin and Gwen disappear into the vortex.

"BEN!!" Their voices carried out to him and then they were gone… actually gone… just like Azmuth had said…

"Ben, it's malfunctioning. You need to stop it." Shaking his head lightly, he glanced upwards at the Jumpgate, which had yet to shut itself down. But hadn't Chadwick said the vortex would stop itself once…

Raising himself until he was on his hands and knees, he couldn't suppress the disbelief as he glanced back at the two figures watching him. The grief on their face was nothing compared to his own. If they felt bad, then why had they done it in the first place? Whether they were right or wrong, it made little difference to him.

The unusual current from the vortex was beginning to surge and distort the archway, before it's pull began once again. "Ben, you need to hurry. Please. If you allow this Jumpgate to continue on its malfunctioned path, it will destroy the entire pier. "

"Right. I got it." Bringing himself to his full height, he turned at the Omnitrix, before finally slamming his hand against the dial once again.

The green flash again obscured their view before floating before Azmuth and Paradox was the moth-like alien, Big Chill. "Freezinng the Jumpgate, should render it inactive, correct?"

Taking a step forward, despite the oddly chilling voice Paradox nodded. "Theoretically, yes. Your abilities should be able to lower the overheating that is currently what is sending the Jumpgate into its malfunctioning state."

Floating forward the cloak-like attire spread open to reveal the Necrofriggian's wings, before unleashing the breath of ice that began to overtake the gate. Despite taking several minutes, the eventually wound up encasing the gate completely, before Big Chill descended to the ground and took a knee. Panting lightly, the Necrofriggian placed a hand over the Omnitrix dial and reverted back to normal.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Chadwick staggered from his place of 'sanctuary', disbelief on his face as he fell against the frozen gate.

"You've just been saved by this boy. Your Jumpgate's wormhole would have spiraled out of control as stated earlier," said Paradox casually. Almost as though it was plainly obvious. Treading lightly, he placed a caring hand on Ben's shoulder, only to find himself grow curious as Ben stood and stared at him.

Glancing between the time traveler and Galvan, he closed his eyes briefly. "You both have explaining to do. I need to find them… I have to save them." Stalking past them, he proceeded tiredly towards the entrance of the warehouse. No one made any attempt to stop him.

"Dear me… I fear we might have done more damage than intended, Azmuth."

"Perhaps. It will not have been in vain though, if he survives the future trials that await him."


End file.
